FOX DRINKARD BEVERAGES

Fox Drinkard Beverages first shows up between 1927 and 1929 at 200 Front Street with Clarence H. "Fox" Drinkard as proprietor.(1) The Company is bottling Cascade Ginger Ale, and is distributing Blatz Old Heidelberg malt beverage, this is still during prohibition after all. Drinkard is also on the board of directors of the Nehi Bottling Company of Johnson City, and manager of the Nehi Bottling Company warehouse at 106 West State Street.(2) By 1930 Fox Drinkard has moved to the corner of Piedmont and Highland Avenues in a building that seems to look almost exactly like his Front street building.(1) The company moves to 216 Piedmont Avenue by 1934 where he would remain until around 1938.(1) Clearance "Fox" Drinkard would also open the Bristol Service Station at 225 Piedmont Avenue around 1934; however, he would sell it by 1938.(1) It appears that Clarence H. Drinkard would become Postmaster of Bristol, VA in June 1938, which might explain why he sold all of his businesses. He was still post master as late as 1953.(1)

From the collection of Charlie Barnette

The first location at 200 Front Street (now Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd).

Fox Drinkard Beverages second location at the corner of Piedmont Avenue and Highland Avenue as it stands today

This is 216 Piedmont Avenue as it is today, I doubt the building is original.

7oz Cascade Ginger Ale bottle dated 1929. Having been dug up in the Bristol area one wonders if this is a bottle from Fox Drinkard as they are known to be bottling the brand in the late 1920's into the 1930's.

This cardboard sign shows what the label might have looked like.

An ad from the company around 1929

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